Long Awaited Love
by Silraen
Summary: A time comes for all young women to fall in love, and that time has come for Celebrian. She must find the strength within her heart and soul to finally tell Elrond how deeply she feels for him.


Long Awaited Love

With Iavas come the first hints of fall; when the daylight fades earlier than usual to become part of the longer nights, and when most of the trees of the world exchange their deep green leaves for the bright auburn colors of gold and scarlet. To Celebrian, it looked as if the only trees that seemed to forever remain the same were the great, sky-piercing pines, which clad silver slopes of the Misty Mountains in a dark green cloak. During the day, the pungent air of the valley held a gentle warmth to its soft breezes, but the evenings were a sharp contrast to the crisp days...they would turn cold...bitterly cold.

_How very unlike Lothlorien, Imladris is,_ she thought to herself as she gazed about in silent awe.

Only a fortnight ago to this very day, Celebrian had come to Imladris with her father, the Lord Celeborn of Lothlorien, for her father had much to discuss with the younger Lord of Imladris...discussions that undoubtably were about the returning of the Nine Riders. The darkness of the Shadow was beginning to reawaken after lying dormant for so long. And because of this, her father had not wanted her to travel from Lothlorien with him, saying that it was much too unsafe for a young lady of her position to be out upon the roads. But Celebrian had desperately wanted to come to Imladris, despite her father's warnings of the great risks she would be taking. She had told him that she had never seen the magnificant fortress in during the fall, and that she had been tiring, if only slightly, of the golden springtime of their realm. She had said that she longed to see the land as it was during Iavas, and to please her, for he loved his daughter dearly, Celeborn had finally agreed to take her.

And yet, Celebrian had not been entirely truthful with her father. She had not traveled all this way only to see this wondrous land during Iavas. To be quite honest, she had wanted to travel here, to Imladris, to see its Lord once again after many long years of seperation. Even as she thought it, her eyes strayed to her companion who walked with her upon the pathless grounds beneath the sunset-colored boughs of the trees - to Lord Elrond himself. A small smile curved her lips, and she looked away to the woods once more.

For a centuray, or perhaps for an even longer span of time, she and Elrond have shared a friendship that was both rare and special...to Celebrian especially. A friendship like theirs was a blessing, for even among the Elves it was unusual for a an unwed man and an unwed woman to be alone together for long periods of time, and to call one another by their first name only, like a husband and wife would. Year after year had gone by, and every time she and Elrond had met time and time again, she had begun to realize that her feelings for him went deeper than friendship. It had been the little things that he had done and would even still do to her that had finally undid her; his smile and the almost tender expression in his eyes when he would look upon her; the brief touchs he gave her upon her hair or her shoulders, and in the manner in which he would speak with her. He spoke with her as he would to one of his men; he spoke with her as an equal, even though she was a woman, not to mention that she was also countless years his junior. Amongst her people, Celebrian was no longer considered to be a child, but she was not yet to be considered an adult woman either. Again, her eyes flickered to Elrond. She was young, but he was not. Nay...he was a man well-grown in both stature and in mind. He was a grave, stern man; a powerful Lord, a wise Lore-master and a full-seasoned warrior. And yet, when he was with her, the graveness in his manner, and the sterness in his gray eyes seemed to fade, even as night fades to dawn. Celebrian was quite pleased to know that he still enjoyed her company, even after all the years that they had spent apart.

It was strange...to be so young, even for a child of the Eldar, and to be so certain that she loved this man. Yet, she was fearful that he would not return her affections, and so she hid her feelings from him...until, of course, the time would be right. And then, in that moment, she would tell him, in her own way. But in the meantime, she would keep her thoughts and passions to herself...burying them beneath her calm demeanor. _And yet, beneath my calm appearence, a fire burns...and it threatens to become a wildfire untamed if I do not say something to him soon!_ Even now, as she walked beside him, she could feel the embers that she had so carefully doused become roused into a burning flame once more. How deeply she felt for him!

"How silent you are this eve, Celebrian," Elrond smiled, drawing her instantly from her thoughts.

Startled slightly by his remark, Celebrian looked up to him and shakily returned his smile. She hoped she did not blush too noticiably. "Does my silence displease you, my lord?" Oh, but how her cheeks burned!

He laughed. "'My lord,' you say? I thought we had agreed that you were to call me Elrond even as I call you Celebrian. And nay, to answer your question. Your silence does not displease me. Nothing about you could ever displease me, Celebrian." He grinned down into her young face.

"That is well," she smiled, a playful light in her eye.

"Indeed."

They walked in companionable silence for a while before she said softly, seriously, "It is kind of you, Elrond, to acompany me when I walk in these woods...for I know how the councils between you, my father and the other Lords tire you."

He gazed at her. "Think my accompanying you on your walks not as a 'kindness,' Celebrian. In fact, let us turn your statement around. It is an honor to walk with you, lady. I take much pleasure in the walks we share together." He smiled. "Though we have spent many years apart, and much has changed in those years, I do not want our friendship to change into that of formality."

She shook her head vehemently. "Indeed no, Elrond. Neither would I. And I enjoy your company as well, my lord," she smiled. "I always have and I always will. When I said those things, I had been voicing only my -"

"Concern for me, I know," he finished for her, smiling gently to take the sting from his words. "Trust me when I say this to you: I am well, and that I am not weary...at least not weary to the point of exhaustion." He grinned slightly. "And I make certain exceptions for you, Celebrian," he added softly.

"You always have," she answered, smiling. "We are friends, after all."

~*~

Soon, they arrived in a clearing; a small opening in the seemingly endless groves of the woodland. The grass about their feet was green yet, unlike the tall, shapely trees surrounding them. In silent agreement, both settled down in the lush grass to rest for a moment, to watch as the sun finally began to descend to the horizon, to watch as the stars, one by one, began to shine out through the fading daylight.

"Imladris is truly beautiful this time of year, Elrond," she murmured after a moment of comfortable silence. She looked to him as he turned his head to gaze at into her bright green eyes. "The sun seems to make the leaves shine even more golden than the leaves of Lothlorien."

He chuckled. "Nay, lady. Nothing can shine more brilliantly than the leaves of your homeland. Though...perhaps your hair could rival their radiance," he added after a slight pause, and he tilted his head a little to observe her geaming, white-gold tresses which flowed in multiple waves down her back.

"Perhaps," she agreed, quirking a playful, pale brow at him.

Elrond grinned and crossed his legs, comfortably leaning back on his hands as his eyes once more turned to the sky, which was now completely dark, save the pearly glimmers of starlight.

Celebrian followed his example as she too turned her gaze to the heavens. Both were quiet for a long moment...quiet, that is, until the Star of Earendil suddenly rose, glistening brightly in the velvet-black heavens. Their silence, Elrond's especially, grew not to be only a silence, but a silence of revered respect. And after a few moments had passed, Celebrian softly began to sing the Lay of the Voyage of Earendil. Steadily, she sang; the harmony of her fair voice lowering or becoming higher in pitch to each different interval of the ancient story until, finally, she came to the last note and held it out...letting it fade into the night...letting it fade to the very star itself.

When at last Celebrian turned to Elrond, she found that he wept silently, his tears, glimmering like the purest of diamonds, glistened upon his cheeks. "Elrond?" she asked softly, and he turned his eyes from the sky to meet her own. Tenderly, she laid her hand upon one of his, her eyes asking what her words could not.

His smile was as just as tender as he gazed into her eyes...but then she noticed something in his gaze that had not been there before. It seemed to be a light...a light so golden and so luminous...but even as she blinked, it was gone. It had faded as quickly as it had come. "I am well, Celebrian," he told her softly.

She bit her lower lip and cast her gaze towards the grass. "I am sorry, my lord. I had not meant to bring grief back to your heart..." her voice trailed off as Elrond placed warm fingers under her chin and lifted her face back up to his.

"I am well, lady," he repeated in a soft murmur. "Hannon le."

Both went still for a moment as each searched the other's gaze, and Celebrian was very aware of his fingers upon her chin. His touch had roused the embers of her desire once more...she could feel her passions begin to smolder gently within her. Suddenly, she thought she had glimpsed the mysterious light once more...and even as she did, she felt something...someone...briefly touch - nay, caress - her thoughts, but the presence withdrew even as she began to hesitantly reach for it with her own thoughts.

Then, Elrond sighed and slowly rose from the grass, his fingers trailing off her chin as he did. "Should we return ere your father begins to worry?" He smiled gently at her.

"Indeed," she replied, returning his smile as she rose to stand beside him, all but a head shorter than he. "We should."

He offered her his arm. And she took it with both hands.

~*~

Slowly, Celebrian and the Lord of Imladris made their way back to the fortress. She was hardly aware of her surroundings, of where her feet passed, or even of the sudden chill of the night's air, so intent was she upon the memory of what had just passed. Something had happened to her when she had been sitting with Elrond in the glade. Something that she could not quite place. What had happened?

It was in this moment when Celebrian realized that they had arrived upon the balcony of her guest chambers. She had not even remembered climbing the stone steps. The wind sang through the eaves of the trees above them; the light mist of the waterfall surrounded them in a glistening shroud of what seemed to be glittering gems, and from far off in the distance, a nightingale sang; its almost heart-wrenching song piercing through the quiet sounds of peaceful valley.

Gently, she let her hands slide from Elrond's arm, and her eyes flickered from the floor and went straight to his. He was gazing intently at her...and she could once again see the light she had noted earlier lurking in his clouded depths. Her thoughts whirled with questions, and the burning embers of passion within her were suddenly threatening to overcome her sense. How was it that whenever she was alone with him for such a long period of time could she barely keep her emotions at bay? _I do not know how long I can go on without saying something... Should I? But how can I tell him something as important as this is? How does one tell another that she loves him? How am I to do this?_

Celebrian was suddenly aware of Elrond leaning in to close the space between them as he gently pressed his lips to her right cheek. He had done this to her many a time before, and in the same, poliet, brotherly fashion...but this time, she trembled, her eyes closing of their own volition, and her hands grasped his arms.

"Celebrian..." he breathed against her skin, his breath tickling as his lips moved slightly downward.

Her back was pressed gently against the wall, and there was not any way to escape what she had so willingly thrust herself into. Neither of them could return now. And then, the embers inside her flared high, finally succeeding in becoming the passionate wildfire she had never tamed. And she now realized that deep in her heart she had never meant to tame it...perhaps for this very reason. Instantly, her lips were upon his.

Shock held him immoblile for a brief moment, but he did not withdraw from her, as she had expected him to do. Nor did he stiffen. Elrond wrapped his arms around her and he drew her tightly against him, responding fervently to her kiss; the passion in which she felt so keenly could be rivaled only by his as their kiss deepened. And even as it did so, she was quite suddenly aware of the gentle touch that she had felt earlier upon her mind. It was him...it was Elrond...and his thoughts were caressing her own as the wind caresses the clouds. His loving thoughts teased hers, coaxing her to open to him, and open to him she did, even as the elanor flower opens to the morning sun, and he filled her with the golden light of passion, with boundless delight and what mattered most importantly to her...with love unsurpassable.

When at last their lips parted, Celebrian gasped delicately and she buried her face in the archway between his neck and shoulder. "You too!" she breathed against his skin.

She could hear his amusement rumble in his chest. "Indeed," was his low response, and she felt his hands run lightly down her spine to settle at last upon her hips.

"Im meleth le, Elrond," she said softly, gazing suddenly into his dark eyes. "For countless years, you are all that has been in my thoughts...in my heart..." her voice faded as he raised a hand to cup her cheek, his eyes glimmering with...was it awe?

"And I have longed for you from the very beginning of when we first met." He ran a finger across one, pale brow. "But I could not have hoped... You were but a young iell then."

"I am yet young," she admitted softly, seeing the look in his eyes. "But I know my heart. And my heart longs for yours. It has for the longest time, Elrond."

His smile was as luminous as hers. "It has it. And you have all of me, Celebrian." His hand slowly moved down to her throat, and he stroked the soft skin there with his thumb.

There must have been a certain look in her eyes, Celebrian would never know for certain, for he suddenly chuckled softly as he gazed into her vivid green depths. "Such beautiful jewels..." he murmured. "Mir nin..."

"Meleth nin... Imgaro aronoded meleth o le," she murmured to him.

"You will have me then?" he asked in wonder, his voice no more than a whisper as his lips drew near to hers...lingering.

Her heart lept with boundless joy. "Indeed," she smiled, and she slipped a hand to his cheek then running her hand through his dark locks even as he ran his other hand carefully through hers. "I will have you. We have wasted much time as it is..."

Grinning, he bent and kissed her once more. The glowing moon and the countless, glittering stars were the only witnesses as Lady Celebrian of Lothlorien and Lord Elrond of Imladris plighted their troth...at long last finally sealing their depthless love for all time.

finis

8~7~03

~*~ 

Notes on Elvish used:

Iavas = Autumn

Hannon le = Thank you

iell = girl

Mir nin = My jewel

Im meleth le = I love you

Meleth nin...Imgaro aronoded meleth o le = I have endless love for you


End file.
